The Massachusetts Commonwealth Cares for Children (C3) grant program provides licensed child care providers with monthly funding in the form of a grant that they can use flexibly for their operations. The program began in July 2021 using federal relief funds and has continued with state funding as of this publication. This brief examines whether the duration of participation in C3 was associated with enrollment growth or stability among center-based and family child care providers.

Why This Matters

Child care providers continue to face financial, workforce, and enrollment challenges that can threaten their program stability and families’ access to care. Federal and state policymakers have increasingly relied on operating grants to grow or maintain child care supply and prevent closures. Yet there is little evidence about how ongoing operating support is related to enrollment stability at the provider level. Understanding how enrollment changes as providers continue to receive flexible, monthly funding can inform future state and federal investments in child care stabilization and supply-building strategies.

What We Found

The findings suggest that monthly, flexible operating grants support enrollment growth and stability. Providers that participated in C3 for longer periods had more children enrolled than they did when they first entered the program.

• For center-based providers, enrollment increased rapidly in their first year of C3 participation—by about 8 children (or around 15 percent), on average. Enrollment stabilized for providers that continued to participate. Overall, providers that participated for at least 43 months increased their enrollment by about 12 children, on average.
• For family child care providers, enrollment grew rapidly in their first year of C3 participation—by about 1 child (or around 19 percent), on average. Enrollment grew for providers that continued to participate. Providers that participated for at least 43 months increased their enrollment by about 2 children, on average. 

Patterns differed by provider type, likely reflecting differences in program size, cost structures, and licensed capacity.

How We Did It

The Urban research team used Massachusetts administrative data on child care providers that participated in C3 between July 2021 and July 2025. The team linked licensing, subsidy participation, and monthly C3 participation records to examine enrollment patterns over time. The team then used multilevel growth models to estimate how enrollment changed relative to each provider’s enrollment when they first began receiving C3 funds, analyzing center-based and family child care providers separately.